Cooker or Oven Not Heating Up

Recently been plunged into darkness? It’s bad enough having to change the time on your oven clock twice a year... but if you’ve had a power cut, it will probably need setting again to keep your oven's clock at the right time.

This is especially important as a clock that’s not set can cause your whole oven to stop working. That might sound crazy, but it's true. Fortunately, adjusting the clock is a very easy fix, so it’s the first thing you should check if you’re having oven problems.

One thing you can do is dig out your oven's user manual to find out how to set the time on your particular make and model of cooker. If you've lost your user manual, don't worry. You can find it on our manual finder page right here!

However, if you can't find what you're looking for in your user manual, that's no problem. We can still help. First, we have step-by-step articles detailing how to change the clocks on Belling, Neff, Stoves, Bosch and Lamona ovens. And, if your oven is another brand, you can also check out our article "How to Set an Oven Clock" by clicking the How To button below. This general guide will help you change the time on a wide range of makes and models of electric ovens, returning your cooker's clock to the correct time once more.

If the clock is set correctly, the element is fine and there’s still no heat from your oven (in other words, if you went to check on your pizza and the melted cheesy goodness you had your heart set on is still frozen) there could be an issue with the thermostat.

You need to first of all check to see if the temperature indicator light is working:

• This is the small light on the front of your oven that remains lit until your oven reaches the desired temperature.
• If this light does not illuminate at all this may be a sign of a faulty thermostat and sign of a replacement.
• If you're still unsure, you can also use a multimeter to test whether or not your oven's thermostat is faulty. Check out our guide on testing an oven thermometer with a multimeter to learn more.

With the help of eSpares, you can replace the thermostat to get your problem sorted.

It appears that you have come to this article because it is safe to assume that you have been faced with a faulty cooker or oven.

If you have checked to see that your appliances' clock is set correctly, the element is working, but there is still no heat in the oven!

A microwave meal could be on the cards if you can’t get to the bottom of this dilemma. Taking to the internet to find the culprit may be the only cost-effective solution to your woes.

If everything seems to be fine then it is time to test the thermal cut out, this little device automatically cuts your oven off if it gets too warm - so to avoid overheating. 

Here’s how to see if it’s faulty:

Safety First! Please make sure that you have disconnected the appliance from the mains before beginning any repair.

• Identify the two connections where electricity enters and exits the thermal cut out component.
• Grab your multimeter again and switch it to a low resistance setting (you can see here for instruction on How To Use A Multimeter)
• Measure across the connections. There should be the same amount of resistance there like you’d read if the two-meter probes were touched together.
• Getting a different reading? We’re sorry to say then that your thermal cut out has failed - and needs replacing.

It is not all bad news though...the good news is that you can soon get a replacement right here on the eSpares site and could soon help you get the problem sorted.

Once you have the correct part for your appliance, see our video guide and you can be on your way to fixing this yourself.

Another part that can cause an oven to breakdown is the terminal block. The symptoms that suggest an issue with the terminal block include:

• A clock that’s not displaying.
• Areas of the cooker that aren’t working.

If the terminal block is to blame, you’ll find your culprit at the back of the appliance where there may be a number of circuits connected by links from the main power connection.

Safety First! Please make sure that you have disconnected the appliance from the mains before beginning any repair.

• If any link or connector is loose it can result in heat and damage.
• Look for signs of charring or loose connections.

If you do find damage there is no need for you to panic about it, as eSpares could soon help you get the problem sorted.

If you require a replacement, see our range of oven spares where we have an excellent selection of terminal blocks

Once you have the correct part for your appliance, see our video guide so you can be on your way to fixing this yourself.

Time is of the essence and if your oven clock is not working that's not going to help you to create your tasty meals at dinner time!

If there is no power on any of the cooker’s circuits:

• Check the fuse board and power supply before suspecting a problem with the cooker itself.

If the clock is still not working or is showing a hand symbol meaning you can’t set it properly, then this means that unfortunately it has failed and will need replacing.

This, however, is not the end of the world - you can soon get a replacement clock from the eSpares website, as we offer an extensive range of cooker related spares.

Not only that, you can also see our helpful guide below on how to fit a new timer, so you can soon get the tick-tock back in your clock!

Another common cause of oven problems is a faulty element. If the below statements are true, the element is likely to blame for your oven not working.

• Your oven clock is working and set to manual not automatic.
• The light on the front remains on until the oven reaches the adequate temperature.
• You can hear the oven fan working as usual.

However, it's important to be sure before getting started with a replacement, which is why we recommend following our guide on testing your oven's heating element with a multimeter. There, you can learn both how to test your element with a multimeter and also change it if it needs replacing.

Please note that the guide linked above is for a cooker & oven combined appliance. If you own a built-in oven, you can learn how to replace the element in your appliance with our other oven element replacement guide by clicking the button below!